Quote: Originally Posted by ROBSCIX Get yourself an H6 DAC expansion board when you can. When and if you can indeed. I e-mailed Asus about availability of the H6 and the ST in Holland a few weeks ago (the ST isn't even listed on Asus.nl!) but haven't heard a thing back from them...

Quote: Originally Posted by ROBSCIX The ST has SVM, which is similar to DRC...have you not tried this option? Although I don't think it would give you quite what you're after. I don't actually have an ST yet, as my previous post probably explains. If this Smart Volume does what...

Quote: Originally Posted by jalyst We did, I don't know if we still do now... I know they ordered a lot less H6 than they ordered ST for some reason. I recall someone complaining about not being able to find it about 1mth ago. So maybe it's already sold out and they haven't...

Quote: Originally Posted by jalyst With the right sound-card & software, can one do everything these devices are capable of? I also see the ST + H6 as a competitor to HD AV receivers. Personally I would be looking into the support for DRC for night-time listening without having...

For what it's worth I just noticed this in the Foobar 1.0.1 changelog: Quote: Added a workaround for horribly broken Asus Xonar drivers.

Quote: Originally Posted by krisno Well - i used the AKG K 701 phones when i listened to the X-can v3 connected to the cheap sony dvd player also... so its computer as source that is a major problem. That's a non-sequiteur IMHO, assuming the Sony DVD player has a warm, dark...

Quote: Originally Posted by krisno I have some other issues also. I have never ever been able to make computer sound as full, musical and just plain good as even stand alone cheap CD players. It just does not seems possible. The bass is lacking, the treble is sharper, etc... I think it...

Quote: Originally Posted by germanium Yes there can be significant diferences. Try hooking up the SPDIF cable from a C.D. drive that has it to the sound card then try the digital input through the PCI or PCI express slot. The sound can be hugely different. The PCI-PCI express being way...

Quote: Originally Posted by krisno I am not that much on a budget. I play games like Left for Dead 2. the sound effects are not in 320kbit. Some ripped movies are like 128bit. With the Essence + the see through AKG K 701 - I am a bit afraid that this will destroy joy with most stuff...

Quote: Originally Posted by germanium I like my music lively because that is what I hear in real live concerts. The sort of loud live concerts that impair higher frequency hearing? Maybe that's part of the reason you prefer a lively home stereo? I can't comment on the ST as...

Quote: Originally Posted by Kandiru I would say this card comes close to the Auzentech X-Meridian, if not better. Thanks for sharing your experiences. With which opamps are you comparing the X-Meridian to the ST? Also could you comment on how they compare with respect to...

From another thread: Quote: Originally Posted by ROBSCIX I really enjoy the LME49710HA and a few here are using them also for various circuits. I have both 627 and 637SM versions. I enjoy there sound but have been going for a different type of response these days. Something a little...

Quote: Originally Posted by leeperry if you're looking for a crazily analytical sound, most definitely. Quote: Originally Posted by leeperry even w/ 3 OPA-Earth, they're not laid back...it's like a wild horse you'd try to domesticate Quote: Originally...

Quote: Originally Posted by Alexander01 I do not have the ST yet. It's still not available in Holland. Well it's been available here for a few months now I think, but the price of €169 is far from competitive and there's no sign of the H6 expansion board yet, which I'm waiting...

There's a new (24th september) review of the Essence ST here. Nothing much to read IMHO, although some people might value the RightMark Audio Analyzser (RMAA) graphs. Main good news for me is that Asus are currently shipping review samples! In the subjective movie test (which I always thought...